Mumsnet Talk

OK, I have lured you in....
Please help me, I have issues with the pre-school DS is at, but I need to know what is ordinary so I can make a more informed decision. Choosing a diff pre-school would mean a 30min round trip in the car, which I am loathe to do.

What is a normal level of interaction WRT pre-schooler/teacher?
What is the routine/day like usually where your kid goes?

My DS is at pre-school. I have been there with him a few times as he is finding it hard to settle. Every time I go there is 10/14 kids there, about 4/6 adults. All the kids are free-playing and the adults are either-- clustered together chatting or wandering about watching the children with notebooks and pens "observing them". I have not yet seen a small cluster of kids with one adult doing an "activity" That is not right is it?

Much appreciated.

I DID see a woman with a cracker of a wolef fleece the other day there. It was blues and greys.

That sounds relatively normal to me for most of a session, though in the two preschools I have had experience of, there is usually some activity, normally craft, that the children can opt to do within their free play, and then the leader who is looking after that activity will start them off or help them out.

Both do have a bit more structure towards the end of the session, though, with singing and/or story time.

thank you!

ours has free play for the first part of the session, then snack time and quiet reading on the carpet followed by outdoor play or indoor bikes/balls/parachute active stuff, circle time/singing then home time!

One day a week there is one to one time with the child's named keyworker where they work on numbers, pen control writing etc.

Haven't seen any wolf fleeces though <disappointed> We have lots of sturdy outdoor wear and Barbour jackets though...

OK, but should all the free-play be so undirected? I think my DS is unsettled there because he is used to someone (me/DH/or the childminder) playing with him. There just seems to be a lot of play with no adult input at all.

Yes it should be totally 100% undirected. It is the whole point of free play. Not only does it encourage their own imaginations it teaches them a lot by allowing them to direct games working things out as a group and a team. It can also be very useful to flag potential problems with some children if they are struggling with free and imaginative play etc.

there should be about 80% child intiated play, this does not mean that the staff are not involved at all, but it means that the children take the initative and the staff involve themselves with the children, and take direction from the children. There should be a good proportion of undirected play. It is important that staff are not with the children all the time, as this allows the children to develop their social skills, sort out any of their own arguments and lead play in which they want. There should be about 20% of Adult led activities within a week. Although this could be that an activity is set up, but childen choose not to access it. In my setting, i expect the keyperson to spend at least a few minutes a day with each of their key children. this may not be an actvity, could just be a conversation.

Adults should not be standing around chatting they should be engaging with children even during child initiated learning (which incidentally should NOT be for 80% of the time - 80% of evidence for the reception profile should be from child initiated but there is meant to be a balance between child initiated and adult initiated learning). What you describe is bad practice.